Space and Sustainability: “Looking Beyond” Exhibition in Pristina (March 20 - April 14)
On the first year of its reopening to the public, the Astronomical Observatory of Pristina is hosting, in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy to Kosovo, the satellite imagery exhibition “Looking Beyond”, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the contribution of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the e-GEOS and Telespazio companies, active in the field of satellite solutions and services.
The inauguration is scheduled on Monday 20 March at 5.30 p.m. at the Palace of Youth and Sports, where the Observatory is located, with the participation of the Italian Ambassador Antonello De Riu, the Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Arbërie Nagavci, the Mayor of Pristina Përparim Rama, as well as the exhibition’s curator Filippo Maggia, one of Italy’s leading experts on contemporary photography. After the inauguration, the exhibition will be open to the public with free entrance every day from Monday to Friday (11 a.m. - 6 p.m.) until 14 April, in the context of “Day of Italian Research in the World”.
“The project consists of an exhibition of images captured by the COSMO SkyMed satellite constellation. It aims at promoting Italian research on science and space and at the same time raising public awareness of the multiple uses of satellite detection technologies, particularly in the fields of agriculture, and infrastructure, as well as in the prevention and management of climate change and environmental disasters”, Ambassador De Riu explains. “The exhibition is an opportunity to present and share an approach in which Italy firmly believes, that of putting science at the service of peace, security, and the prosperity of our planet. An event that is both cultural and scientific and that we are proud to bring to the Pristina Observatory, reopened to the public after so many years, thanks to the tenacity of a group of young and passionate Kosovars”, the diplomat adds.
For Suhel Ahmeti, Head of the Observatory and President of the Astronomy Club of Kosovo (ACK), “the aim of the exhibition, for which we warmly thank the Italian Embassy, is to offer the public an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of satellite technologies to Earth observation, to the promotion of sustainable development, and to the protection of natural and cultural heritage. More generally, through this exhibition, the inauguration of which falls on a very special day for us which is the ninth anniversary of the foundation of our Club, we hope to increase the interest of the Kosovo public in astronomy and space”.
COSMO-SkyMed is one of the most innovative Earth observation programs financed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Ministries of Defense and University. The system is based on a configuration of four satellites equipped with SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) sensors, that watch the Earth day and night under any weather condition. It has been developed for dual use, so to satisfy both civil and military needs.
The Pristina Astronomical Observatory, first set up in 1977, was in operation for only 3-4 years, serving both as a scientific and educational center and as a hub for cooperation between East and West during the Cold War. In 2022, after a 43-year gap, thanks to the contribution of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Municipality of Pristina, it reopened its doors at the efforts of a group of young space enthusiasts. The center is equipped with several telescopes and a meteorological station. It organizes scientific events and space observation sessions, especially on eclipses.
The Day of Italian Research in the World is promoted by the Ministry of Universities and Research with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation with the aim of enhancing the contribution of Italian researchers to international science. It is symbolically celebrated around 15 April, the anniversary of the birth of the Italian genius Leonardo Da Vinci.